


Black Swan

by NoxCandy



Series: Kageyama Alternate Highschool AUs [1]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Kageyama Tobio-centric, Kageyama has trauma from Kitagawa Daichi, Kitagawa Daiichi, M/M, Polyamory, Semi is a good senpai, Shiratorizawa!Kageyama, Spiker!Kageyama, Tendou is a Good Senpai, Ushijima is a good senpai, You Should Have Come to Shiratorizawa
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-23
Updated: 2021-03-24
Packaged: 2021-03-24 13:54:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,167
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30073266
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NoxCandy/pseuds/NoxCandy
Summary: "Kageyama Tobio.""Ushijima-san"Blue eyes meet olive."You should come to Shiratorizawa."-Or alternatively the one where Kageyama is welcomed at Shiratorizawa.-
Relationships: Goshiki Tsutomu/Shirabu Kenjirou, Kageyama Tobio & Semi Eita, Kageyama Tobio & Shirabu Kenjirou, Kageyama Tobio & Tendou Satori, Kageyama Tobio & Ushijima Wakatoshi, Kageyama Tobio/Semi Eita, Kageyama Tobio/Tendou Satori, Sakusa Kiyoomi/Ushijima Wakatoshi, Semi Eita/Kageyama Tobio/Tendou Satori, Semi Eita/Tendou Satori
Series: Kageyama Alternate Highschool AUs [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2212593
Comments: 27
Kudos: 70





	1. Chapter 1

_“Man, practice comes to a stop anytime Tendo’s here! But at least we get a break.”_

_“I suppose so, but the guy kinda freaks me out. I mean- that guy is like a lizard. You never know what he’s thinking.”_

_“Aaa-greed!”_

Tendo has always known that children were cruel. Hell, he probably knows better than anyone. He’s familiar with the pranks, and teasing, and tears running down his face far more often then he’d like to admit. He could probably recall with near certainty all the names they’d call him, every insult, every time they’d hide his shoes, or laugh at him. He _knows._

“Hey, what’s the score?” Semi asks as he comes back from the bathroom, plopping next to Tendo.

“17-10.” The redhead watches as Kitagawa Daiichi’s turnip-head gets blocked after he struggles to hit the most recent set. He yells something at the setter before another player pulls him away by his jersey. He can’t tell if the setter ( _Kageyama_ according to his jersey) says anything back.

Tendo is familiar with the more traditional methods of bullying, but he also knows that the non-traditional exclusion is the worst. Its so easy to acknowledge someone- it only takes a few seconds and most people do it subconsciously. So, to be so pointedly ignored…

The droopy-eyed spiker from before lazily misses a receive. This time he can see #2’s angry yelling. He looks passionate, irritated, _hungry for the win._ His spiker ignores him. Still the match goes on.

“Man, Wakatoshi-kun look at those sets! Pretty amazing, huh?” Satori nudges Ushijima who glances at him from the side.

“I suppose so…” Then Wakatoshi frowns -well more than normal- “However, the setter is not making full use of his spikers.”

Eita hums in agreement, “The sets are shit if a spiker can’t hit them. You can’t make points with a set you can’t hit. It’s sad, especially for a setter that talented. I’m sure if he tried then he could meet those spikers easily.”

Ushijimia nods his own agreement. Tendo frowns.

“What if its his spikers?” He counters, “What if his spikers just can’t keep up because they’re not good enough?”

“Huh?”

Satori watches with narrowed eyes as Kageyama sets for the shallot head again. Just as expected, the set would be perfect if the spiker could hit it. It could easily clear the blockers and its at the apex of shallot-head’s jump (but only if he put in 100% of his effort).

“I bet our team could hit that set.”

The next set turns into a setter-dump, gaining Kitagawa the point and the right to serve.

“Maybe” Wakatoshi acknowledges, crossing his arms over his chest, “- However, I have no use for a setter that can not adjust for his spikers.”

As if to prove his points, the onion-head spiker and Kageyama argue again, the referee giving them a warning. Satori is sitting close enough he can see the scowl on Kageyama’s face just a clearly as the look of disgust on the rest of the team. Satori is familiar with that look.

Something in his stomach squirms as they all nod to each other- a signal of some sort. Even the coach seems to be in on it. Kageyama, however, looks oblivious- he’s 100% invested in the game and not what his team is doing behind him.

“But what if he can?” Tendo counters, “What if he could adjust to a team on his level?”

“Tendo?”

“Why are you so set on this guy anyways? I don’t think you’ve met…” Semi arches an eyebrow.

Satori feels like he’ll be sick.

The set falls to the ground in a sickening _thud_ as the entire Kitagawa Daiichi team turns their backs on their setter. The expression on Kageyama’s face breaks his heart- he looks _lost, startled, heart-broken._ When he sits on the bench with a towel over his head, he knows for certain that there’s tears running down his face. At least his coach has the mercy not to lecture him.

Satori stands.

“I’m not.” He stuffs his hands in his pocket- his face blank. “Its just some food for thought.”

He’s quick to leave the game. There’s nothing left to see there anyways.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tendo will be a good senpai. Even if it kills him.

Tendo Satori counts himself lucky.

Sure, his childhood wasn’t great- he was constantly bullied and ignored at home more often than not, but he had talent. Even when the coach in junior high would constantly belittle him for the way he played, he still got the team the most points from his blocks. He was easily the most talented player on his junior high team.

Now that he’s in high school, on a sports scholarship, he can play however he wants as long as he keeps scoring them points. More than that- he can behave as strangely as his heart desires and no one cares- Hell, people even like him for it. He has honest-to-god _friends_ and he lives in a dorm where he doesn’t have to be alone all the time.

Volleyball really is his paradise.

_Chocolate… or strawberry…?_

Tendo narrows his eyes at the buttons on the vending machine as sweat creeps down his brow.

After _whatever_ that stunt from KitaDaii was Tendo opted to wander around outside until Ushijima and Semi-semi were done. He even jogged a couple times around the stadium which lead him to now, standing in front of the vending machine trying to choose between milks.

“Tendo!” Semi startled the redhead, forcing him to press multiple buttons at the same time. “Where were you? The game ended 10 minutes ago. My dad’s supposed to be taking us back to the dorms in 5.”

“Chilll Semi-Semi” Tendo chides, bending down to pick up the milk. To his delight, he not only got the chocolate, but he also got a free plain one. “I got bored, so I decided to run around the stadium. Want a milk?”

“You’re insane.” Semi shakes his head before he scowls, looking at the offered milk with disgust. “And no. Milk is disgusting.”

Tendo shrugs, before he catches sight of a familiar boy in a blue jacket coming out of the stadium doors- his shoulders hunched. He quickly bypasses Semi who barks out a startled “Hey! Where are you going _now?!_ ”

“Hey, Kageyama!”

The startled boy looks up at the 2nd year. He has puffy eyes and tear tracks on his face.

“Tendo-san?” Satori pauses and Semi catches up.

“You know this loser?”

“Hey!”

Kageyama nods, “He’s Shiratorizawa’s _Guess Monster._ You’re a setter and pinch server.” Then Kageyama scowls, “Did you need something from me?”

Semi goes to deny it, but Tendo cuts him off, “Where are you planning on going to high school?”

Kageyama narrows his eyes, suspicious, “Are you here to tell me not to try for Shiratorizawa, too?” His expression looks poisonous and bitter, but not defeated. He’s doing better than Satori was at least.

Tendo pouts _Too?_ He quickly shakes it off, “Nah- I just think you’re a talented setter. It’d kinda piss me off to play against you.” Kageyama’s face lightens a bit, but he still looks wary, “How ‘bout we practice together, sometime?”

“What’s the catch?” Kageyama scowls again, hunching in on himself.

“Catch?” To his credit, even Semi sounds concerned.

“There’s always a catch.” Kageyama looks up at them, suddenly angry, “So what is it? Pity? Or maybe you plan on making fun of me. I won’t let you make a fool out of me.”

Tendo looks, slightly surprised- he never expected him to lash out. Well, then again none of this was planned. Tendo relaxes, smiling as he approaches Kageyama.

“Tendo…” Semi warns, but he ignores him. Kageyama flinches as Tendo slings an arm over Kageyama’s shoulders and places the plain milk into his hands. He really is small, even for a junior high kid. Compared to a spindly giant like Tendo, he looks like a wisp.

“You’re full of spunk I like it!” Kageyama tries to lean away, but Tendo keeps his grip firm, grounding, “We’re a lot alike, you and me! Stick with me, and we’ll be best buds.”

Kageyama doesn’t look convinced, but Semi sighs. “Who says he wants to be best friends with you?”

“Hey!”

Pinching the bridge of his nose, “He might be strange, and I don’t know what the hell is wrong with him, or what he’s thinking half the time-”

“But?” Tendo prompts.

“No, that was it.”

“ _Semi-semiiiiiiii.”_ He whines, turning to a confused Kageyama, “Ignore Semi-semi! I’m a great guy!”

“He’s not a bad guy,” Semi amends, with a small smile before he wipes it away. “…He’s not malicious at least. Its best to just let him do what he wants, and he’ll get tired of you and leave you alone… eventually.”

“Is that what you’re hoping for Semi-Semi?” Tendo smirks, letting go of Kageyama to cling to the ash-blond. He scowls as Tendo plants a gross smooch on his cheek, “That’ll never happen. You’ll be stuck with me _foreverrrrrrrr!”_

Kageyama watches them bicker in silence.

“… Okay.”

“Hm?” Tendo perks up, not unlike a dog. Kageyama scowls.

“I said, okay.” Excitedly, Tendo clings to the little junior-high 3rd year.

“You’re so cute, _Yamayama-kun~!_ Call me Tendo-senpai… Oooh no! How about Satori-senpai!”

“You’re so gross, Tendo.”

“Don’t listen to him, Yamayama-kun. He’s just jealous!”

“Tendo! Don’t tell him that! I am not!”

“You are _so!_ ”

“I’m _not_!”

“You are!”

“Are not!”

“Are!”

“Are not!”

“Are not!”

“Are- dammit!”

“Semi-semi! I can’t believe you! Cursing in front of my precious kouhai! For shame, Semi-semi! For shame!”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Yeah! That’s your miracle boy! Sa~To~Ri`!” Exhausted, Kageyama pants with sweat dripping down his brow and a grimace on his face. Well, even geniuses have limits. “Aw is my tired wittle kouhai feeling despair?”
> 
> Kageyama’s back straightens, and absently Semi wonders if Tendo finally pushed Kageyama too far.
> 
> “The only time I will feel despair…” Kageyama tilts his head, a dark look in his eyes that makes Semi shiver, “is when I can’t play volleyball anymore.”

Semi should be used to Tendo’s antics by now. He’s known the guy for 2- going on to 3 years. This shouldn’t surprise him anymore. He should know how to put a stop to this madness, and leave Tendo to his own insane ideas.

That’s how it _should_ be. But in reality, he still at the gym on a Sunday waiting for KitaDaii’s genious setter with an over-excited Tendo.

He really doesn’t know what Tendo’s thinking. Tendo and Kageyama really are nothing alike. Kageyama is quiet, polite, and reserved, while Tendo is brash, insulting, and loud. Kageyama is short, but his frame is balanced, while Tendo is absurdly tall with long spindly limbs. Kageyama’s hair is dark, and is always down, while Tendo’s hair is bright, spikey, and wild. Hell, even their positions are different. Tendo is a middle blocker, while Kageyama is a setter. Well… Kageyama _was_ a setter.

Semi frowns. Sure, he knows that Tendo can be nice when he wants to- he’s perfectly capable of it, he just chooses not to be. But to take on a charity case like _Kageyama Tobio_ \- the tyrannical king of the court, abandoned by his own teammates? He has no clue what Tendo’s thinking.

Still, he has to admit its been fascinating learning about Kageyama these last few sessions.

First and foremost: Kageyama is a volleyball addict. He lives and breathes volleyball. Sure, he might not be the smartest academically, or even in street smarts, but his instincts are truly amazing. His talent goes far beyond being a genius- he’s also a hardworking genius. He’s constantly striving to improve and keep improving past his limits in a way that is, quite frankly, terrifying. He has monstrous stamina that can come only by practicing for an insane number of hours. Not only that- his skill shows it.

Semi hasn’t seen Kageyama set since that last KitaDaii match, but he’s seen his spikes, receives, and blocks. Kageyama has a killer straight(which would be impressive even for a high-school student) , and his receives and blocks are solid. That’s not even touching on the jump serve that he’s been learning just by _watching_ Oikawa. Kageyama is a beast, and that’s coming from someone that is on the same team as _Ushijima Wakatoshi_.

The doors to the gym open with a quiet thud, letting in the frigid winter air.

“Yamayama-kunnnnnn~!” Tendo whines from the bleachers, snuggling into his jacket. Semi rolls his eyes. “Close the doooooor, its coooooolllllllddddd!”

“Right.” Kageyama is quick to shut the door and change his shoes. When he ties them to his standards, he finally greets them. “Hello Semi-senpai. Tendo-senpai.”

Semi nods at him, while the black-haired boy stretches.

The second thing they learn about Kageyama is that he’s never had a good senpai before.

“How about you do some serves for us, Yamayama-kun! I’m sure Semi-semi can help.” Kageyama’s eyes light up.

“Would you really, Semi-senpai?” He shuffles in place excitedly, like he doesn’t quite know what to do with himself. In a way it reminds him of an awkward little puppy. You’d think that after seeing this every session where anyone even offered the bare minimum to him, Semi would know how to deal with it, but it still breaks his heart all the same. How anyone could say no to a kid that’s this earnest is beyond him.

“Yeah, let me warm up and I’ll give you some tips.” Semi sighs, stretching his arms, “But I won’t go easy on you.”

Kageyama straightens up, a determined scowl sitting on his face as he nods. If it wasn’t for the familiar fire in his eyes, Semi would think that he’s angry but after 4 weeks of meeting up like this he knows better. This was his third discovery about Kageyama: despite his resting bitch face, he’s seldomly ever angry or annoyed.

Taking a deep breath, Semi watches as Kageyama tosses the ball in the air. He takes one step, two, then three, and then he jumps and slams the ball downwards. Kageyama scowls as Tendo sends the ball up cleanly. Semi knows the he’s not actually upset about Tendo receiving the ball- rather he’s thinking about how he can serve the ball around the red-haired idiot. Speaking of-

“Aw, look at my adorable little kouhai! You’ve got to try harder than that to beat the big bad guest monster!” Tendo coos at him, ruffling his hair. Kageyama pouts.

“Tendo-san, quit it!” Kageyama light-heartedly bats Tendo’s hands away from his hair. “You are such a moron! Tendo-senpai, you moron!”

Despite the growl to his voice, Kageyama doesn’t really have any heat behind those words. Just as Semi and Tendo have been learning about him, Tobio has been learning about them too. He knows about Tendo’s habits and he knows how to get him to stop if he actually wanted to. Watching the two of them bicker with each other, Semi knows that taking Kageyama under their wing wasn’t such a bad idea.

“ _Yamayama-kun!_ I can’t believe you’d be so mean to your senpai.” Tendo gasps, quickly turning to Semi. “You see what you taught him, Semi-semi! I can’t believe you’re corrupting my favorite kouhai like this!”

The ash-blond makes sure to ignore him, instead turning to the blue-eyed boy. “Kageyama-kun.”

He perks up, “Yes, Semi-san?”

“When you serve like that try not to show where you’re aiming.” Eita thinks that his advice might have been to vague, but Kageyama frowns and thinks it over before he nods. Thank god for geniuses.

“Tendo-san!” Satori visibly perks up, “If you don’t get to the other side of the net, I’m serving without you.”

“Say what?!” He lets out a scandalized gasp, diving under the net. “See what you’ve done, Semi-semi?! Before we know it, he’s going to be salty just like Shirabu!”

Quietly, Semi watches Kageyama serves again, easily implementing his vague advice. Kageyama serves again, and again. His form really does look like Oikawa’s with only a few qualities being reminiscent of his own. He wonders what his senpai’s taught him in junior high. When they prompted Kageyama about his junior high senpais before he just… shut down. He mentioned Seijoh’s ace, Iwaizumi-san a few times, but by his own admission he mainly worked with Oikawa and the other first years. Speaking of Oikawa… Bringing him up is like knowingly stepping on a landmine.

Kageyama doesn’t lie- he’s a lot like Ushijima in that way. He’s brutally honest in a way that’s almost comical at times. Their only saving grace is that he, at least, has a little more tact that Ushijima(its likely from the trauma and abandonment issues his former team caused, but Semi isn’t digging into that can of worms. Nuh-uh, this is Tendo’s charity case, not his.) But besides that, while Kageyama may not lie, he’s definitely willing to with-hold information and Oikawa is a very secretive subject. The most they’ve been able to get out of Kageyama is that he has a crappy personality. Still, Semi has to wonder if Oikawa taught Kageyama anything at all. Well, surely, he had to teach him _something_ at least. The alternative is that Tobio learned that serve all on his own, just by _watching_. Now _that_ would be terrifying.

Eita focuses back on Kageyama’s serves. Each time Kageyama serves, he changes something- constantly fine tuning his serve into something that is sure to be a dangerous weapon in the high school volleyball circuit. Its really impressive, and he’s pretty sure that soon Semi won’t have anything left to teach him regarding serves. It makes him a little sad, a tiny bit jealous if he’s honest with himself, but that’s just life. Eventually the student will surpass the teacher, its just his job as a senpai to nurture that growth.

Diving to the floor, Tendo cheers as he barely gets the most recent serve up.

“Yeah! That’s your miracle boy! Sa~To~Ri`!” Exhausted, Kageyama pants with sweat dripping down his brow and a grimace on his face. Well, even geniuses have limits. “Aw is my tired wittle kouhai feeling despair?”

Kageyama’s back straightens, and absently Semi wonders if Tendo finally pushed Kageyama too far.

“The only time I will feel despair…” Kageyama tilts his head, a dark look in his eyes that makes Semi shiver, “is when I can’t play volleyball anymore.”

Tendo narrows his eyes, “Are you sure you’re a junior high kid, because that just gave me the chills?”

Kageyama looks unamused as he grabs another ball. “One more!”

“That’s what I like to hear!” Tendo grins, “With that spirit, you may just surpass me or Ushiwaka one day, my darling kouhai!”

_Maybe they’re more alike than I thought…_

Eita shakes his head.

“Nice serve, Kageyama-kun!”

“Ossu!” Determined Kageyama throws the ball in the air while Tendo gets ready to receive.

Kageyama takes one step, then two, and then-

**_SLAM-_ **


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kageyama nods, his expression blank as he looks to the gym floor. “Oikawa-san is the best setter I’ve ever met. His serves are amazing, and I don’t think I’ll ever be able to bring out the best in a team the way he can.”
> 
> “Then you understand, why I say we have no use for you as our setter.”

When Ushijima asked Shirabu to come to the gym on a Sunday, he expected said gym to be vacant. Like, honestly- don’t people have better things to do than to practice on their one day off? Still as much as he didn’t want to go, its important to keep in mind that it was Ushijima who asked him. He may be a volleyball idiot, but even he knows how important resting is. (He knows this for a fact, considering he vaguely remembers Ushijima lecturing a first year for the same things using some abstract analogy involving horses? Or maybe it was oxen…?)

Still, all that being said, Shirabu would much rather be doing just about anything else than practicing on a Sunday. The only thing that could probably make a Sunday practice worse is if he had to deal with Semi, his salty upperclassmen. Or even worse… _Tendo._ Shirabu recoils in disgust. He’s dealt with some annoyingly upbeat and persistent people, but Tendo Satori takes the cake. He’d much rather deal with Ushijima on a sugar rush than deal with Tendo by himself, much less with anyone else.

Heaving a sigh, Shirabu readjusts his practice clothes before stomping up to the gym. He can hear the squeaking of shoes from the inside- probably Ushijima practicing his jump serves. With that in mind, he grips the handle of the door, and slams it open in hopes that if Ushijima sees his bad mood, he might have mercy and shorten the session…

But instead of seeing Ushijima in the middle of a jump serve he meets the eyes of a shocked black-haired boy just as a volleyball falls on his head.

“…Ow.”

Shirabu stares into blue eyes for one second, then two, and then-

“Pfft- HAHAHAHA! Did you see that Semi-semi?! Comedy gold, I tell you!’

“Shut up, Tendo. Are you, ok, Kageyama-kun?”

Shirabu decides right there, that yes, the universe must really hate him.

_… Maybe if I leave now, I can tell Ushijima-san that the gym was already occupied so I went back to my dorm to study. I wonder if that would work-_

“Shirabu.” Kenjiro jumps, as a heavy hand claps his shoulder, “I was unaware that you invited Semi and Tendo and…”

“I didn’t…”

Finally, catching his breath, Tendo stops laughing. Instead he drags the blue-eyed boy, and an unwilling Semi in their direction. “Wakatoshi-kun!”

_Maybe this really is Hell… Or maybe karma? No, I don’t think there’s anything I could have done to deserve this…_

“Hello Tendo. Semi.”

“…Hey Ushijima.”

“I didn’t know you were gonna practice today!” Tendo grins, bouncing around like a puppy on caffeine, “If I did, I could have introduced you sooner!”

Kenjiro watches as their red-haired middle blocker gleeful shoves a junior high kid in front of himself- the same blue-eyed boy that dropped the ball on his head when he’d come in.

“Did you really steal a junior high kid, Tendo? That’s low, even for you.” Shirabu deadpans, as the kid stares holes into his face, some kind of strange aura coming off him.

_Come on, kid. Ushijima Wakatoshi is literally right here, and you have to stare at me?_

“Wha?! I did not steal a junior high kid!” Tendo barks back indignantly, “ **This** , my dear salty-kouhai is Kageyama Tobio- my apprentice!”

“Uh…Hi.”

Shirabu watches as Tendo coos over Kageyama, petting his head like he’s a puppy while Semi tries to help Kageyama fend him off. Already done with the insanity, Shirabu looks to Ushijima who is staring at Kageyama with an uncomfortable intensity.

“Kageyama Tobio.” The blue-eyed setter finally shrugs Tendo off him, instead choosing to stand in front of Ushijima. Comparatively, the two of them have a laughable size difference. Ushijima is tall and muscular, easily standing a full head above Kageyama who is still small and skinny, with baby fat clinging to his cheeks.

“Ushijima-san.”

The two stare at each other, sizing the other up.

“You went to the same junior high school, as Oikawa.”

“Yes. He was my senpai in my first year.”

“Oikawa is an exceptional setter. I wish he would have come here with us.” Shirabu rolls his eyes, how typical. “He brings out the best in every player on his team.”

Kageyama nods, his expression blank as he looks to the gym floor. “Oikawa-san is the best setter I’ve ever met. His serves are amazing, and I don’t think I’ll ever be able to bring out the best in a team the way he can.”

“Then you understand, why I say we have no use for you as our setter.”

The gym is so silent you could hear a pin drop.

Tendo and Semi both look floored, while Kenjiro… well he’s paying more attention to the way Kageyama is clenching his fists.

_He wouldn’t… punch Ushijima, would he?_

Kageyama abruptly looks up at Ushijima, his face blank and his eyes dull.

“I’m not a setter anymore.” If Ushijima is surprised, he doesn’t show it. “After my last junior high match, I doubt I’ll ever be able to willingly set for anyone.”

Kageyama backs up from Ushijima, grabbing his dropped volleyball. Tendo is quick to duck back under the net, positioning himself to receive.

Kageyama tosses the ball up and takes a step. Then two, and then three before he slams the ball to the other side of the court, bouncing harshly off Tendo’s arm.

“I’m not nearly half as good a setter as Oikawa-san,” Kageyama tells them over his shoulder, “But I refuse to lose to him. I’m going to become the best, even if I can’t be the best setter.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Just a few minutes, Kageyama-kun. Have some mercy on the old.”  
> Kageyama tilts his head, confused. “But you’re not old?”  
> Tendo laughs, slinging his arm around Kageyama’s shoulders. He’s gotten used to it by now, so he just lets him. “Ignore Semi-semi! How ‘bout you play with your favorite senpai for a bit, hmm?”

Despite always wanting to be a setter, Kageyama has never slacked in his receives, blocks, or his spikes. In fact, Kageyama is confident enough to say that if he was a spiker, he could easily be among the top junior high spikers- maybe even within the top 5 if he’s feeling cocky.

“Kageyama-kun!”

“Ossu!”

Taking a running leap, Kageyama spikes the ball. Its high and slow, like Semi-san is trying to get a baring on what he’s like as a spiker even though he’s set for him before. Needless to say, there’s nothing really special about the set, and the way its easily blocked by Ushijima is testament to that.

With a frown, Kageyama glares at his hand.

“Kageyama-kun?” Semi approaches him, “We’re taking a break now. Did you want some water?”

He still says nothing even as Semi brings him to the benches.

“Yamayama-kun! What’s with that look on your face?! Don’t tell me you’re thinking about which milk to buy again?”

Finally, Kageyama looks up, as Tendo hangs on him. He instead fixes his glare onto Semi.

“Um, Kageyama, is everything alright?”

“Your sets.” He puts down his water bottle. “They’ve been average.”

Semi bulks as even Shirabu and Ushijima stop to stare at them.

“You’ve set for me before- you know what I’m capable of.” Kageyama’s brows furrow, “So why are you playing so safely?”

Semi’s mouth opens, then closes, and then Shirabu barks out a laugh.

“What?! What’s so funny?!”

“It’s just, I replaced you as a started because you played to recklessly, and now you play so shittily that even a junior high kid calls you out?”

Semi growls, turning back to Kageyama. “Do you think you can keep up?”

Kageyama fixes him with a deadpan expression. “Of course, I can.” He bites back, almost angrily, before he grins, big and scary. “Now stop holding back.”

The next sets are much different that the first ones. Semi sets fast and high, making both Ushijima and Kageyama work to adjust. Now instead of being able to easily block Kageyama’s spikes, it’s a 50-50 chance that Ushijima will get a one touch or if the spike will get past him, with very few spikes being completely shut out. Semi’s having a blast.

“Whoo-hoo, look at you go Yamayama-kun! Are you really going to let them shows you up, Wakatoshi-kun?”

Again, and again, they play through the cycle. Serve, receive, set, spike, with a few variations sprinkled throughout as Semi keeps trying out new daring plays that gain them just a bit more points than they lose. Semi is quickly reminded what a stamina monster Kageyama is.

“Just a few minutes, Kageyama-kun. Have some mercy on the old.”

Kageyama tilts his head, confused. “But you’re not old?”

Tendo laughs, slinging his arm around Kageyama’s shoulders. He’s gotten used to it by now, so he just lets him. “Ignore Semi-semi! How ‘bout you play with your favorite senpai for a bit, hmm?”

“You can set, Tendo-san?”

“I told you, call me Tendo-senpai!” He says ruffling the younger boy’s hair, “And nah, not really.”

Tobio frowns, “Then how can we…?”

“You might not be as good as Oikawa, but you can still set, can’t you Tobio-kun?”

Kageyama stiffens under Tendo’s touch, a troubled look settling on his face. Can he set? Technically yes, he _is_ physically capable of setting the ball however-

**_“Tyrant king-“_**

**_“Dictator.”_ **

**_“He just changed overnight!”_ **

**_“Heard he got abandoned by his team-“_ **

**_“Good riddance!”_ **

**_“I can’t blame them; I wouldn’t want to be on the same team as someone like that.”_ **

**_“Don’t bother coming to Aoba Johsai, Tobio-chan. I think taking what I’ve worked so hard for and then destroying it just once, was enough, don’t you? C’mon now, Tobio- don’t you finally get it? You can never- no you will never be on my level.”_ **

“Yamayama-kun? Can you set for me?”

“… I don’t know.”

“What do you mean you don’t know?” Shirabu blows his bangs out of his face, “You either can or you can’t”

“How about won’t?” Tobio shoots back, crossing his arms over his chest. “Setting… it scares me okay? The thought that I’ll send a ball up and there’ll be no one there to back me up? It terrifies me, alright.”

The gym is completely and utterly silent.

“…I noticed something about your sets in junior high”

“Huh?” Stunned, Kageyama looks up at an uncharacteristically serious Tendo.

“You were trying to get past the blockers, right?” Tobio frowns.

“Well yeah but-“

“But they couldn’t reach them.” Tobio looks off to the side, “But I bet I could. After all, no one’s better at reading the court than your number 1 miracle boy Sa-to-ri Tendo~”

Kageyama looks shocked, surprised that someone… anyone would be willing to adapt to his tosses. Tendo, as if he could read his mind, grins-patting his kouhai’s head.

“Leave it to your reliable Satori-senpai!” He quickly takes Semi’s spot on the court, “After all, it’s a senior’s job to look after his underclassmen!”

“I-uh-“ Kageyama swallows, his throat unusually dry. “Right!”

_Is… is this what having an upperclassman is supposed to feel like?_

“Alright Yamayama-kun! Give me a pretty serve, pretty please!”

Taking a deep breath, Kageyama tosses the ball up and spikes it to the corner of the court where Shirabu receives it, sending it up for Ushijima to spike. Tendo eagerly jumps into a one-man block.

“One-touch!”

With wide-eyes Kageyama watches as the ball comes to him. It’s at a perfect position to set. All he has to do is-

**_The space behind him is empty as the ball thuds to the floor._**

**_“Why didn’t you jump?”_ **

**_“Its because we’ve had enough of you, Mr. King of the Court.”_ **

Tobio’s breath catches in his throat- he can’t do this! He can’t-

“Tobio-kun!”

The space behind him isn’t empty. Tendo-san is there past Ushijima, ready to spike.

“Satori-senpai!”

Kageyama jumps, targeting the pinpoint location the red-haired blocker would need the ball, before setting it with pinpoint precision.

The ball easily sails past Ushijima.

“Nice kill, Kageyama-kun! Tendo!”

Kageyama stares at his palms. He did it. He set it, and someone was there to hit it- Tendo was able to get that ball with ease. Not only that but he was able to go completely past the blocker. Kageyama doesn’t think he’s ever set a ball that felt that good, save for the one time he set for Iwaizumi-san in junior high. Or maybe when he used to set for Kindaichi and Kunimi in his first year.

“Woah! The toss was super freaky!” Tendo calls out with excitement, “Man, Wakatoshi-kun, you’ve got to hit one of those. It’s like you don’t have to do anything, Kageyama sends it to the perfect spot!”

Kageyama ignores Tendo’s gushing about his toss for a little bit instead focusing on the warm feeling in his chest. “Kageyama Tobio.”

“Ushijima-san.”

Blue eyes meet olive.

“You should come to Shiratorizawa.”


End file.
